Resilient wheel.



f '6. w. CONWAY.

HESILIENT WHEEL. APPLICATION m5035912. 1916.

Patented Mar. 11, 1919.

narran sTATEsPATENTOFFICE eigenen w. looNwnY, Vor NEWARK, NEW JERSEY. f

Y RESILIENT l'Will-1151151121.

' v specification of Letersratent. YVPaten-igea Mal-711, 1919,

Applcatironiled Septemberz, 1916. Serial No. 118,308.

To all whom Vit may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE W.V CONWAY, a. citizen of the United States, residing atV Newark, in the county ofEssex and State of New Jersey,-have invented certain new make and use the same, reference being .had`

to the accompanying drawings7 and to charactersV of reference marked thereon, which form ra part of this specification. f

The present invention has reference, generally, to improvements in wheels for vehicles; and, the invention relates, more particularly, to a novel wheel ofthe resilientl type which is especially adapted for use with automobiles and similar vehicles.

VThe present invention has for its princi- Y pal object to provide a resilient vehiclewheel of the general construction hereinafter moreV fully set forth, with a View of providing the periphery of the main wheelbody with a number of'independently movable and spring-supported tread-members or elements, eachelement being arranged and supported in such a manner so that the tread-member or element is capable of a movement in a direction'toward the center of the wheel-body. Y Y Y A The invention has for its further objects to provide a resilient vehicle-wheel, which is perfect and eficient in its operation, the durability of which is greatly increased, and the various parts of which are readily as sembled, and may. be easily interchanged or replaced when necessary.

Other objects of the present invention not at this time more particularly enumerated will be clearly understood from Vthe following detailed description of the invention.

With the various objects of the present invention in view, the said invention consists, primarily, in the novel vehicle-wheel hereinafter set forth; and, the invention consists, furthermore, in the novel arrangements and combinations of theseveral devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the said parts, all of which will beA more fully described in the following specification and then finally embodied in the clauses of the claim which are appended to and which form an essential part of the said specification.

VThe invention is illustrated in thevaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view of a resi wheel, partly in side elevation and partly; in

lient vehiclelongitudinal vertical section, showing one embodiment of the principles of the present 1nvent1on;rand Fig. 2 is a detail transverse vertical section of the same, said section be-` views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to the said figures of the drawings, the reference-character 1 indicates a ring-like .element of any V*suitable Vdiameter and width, the said element being provided with laterally extendingholes, as

2, .in which are disposed tie-bolts or rivets as 3. Suitably secured by'means of the saidV bolts or rivets upon the opposite side-faces land 5 of the said ring-like element 1 are a pair of circular members or elements', said members or ele-V ments being provided with a series-of spokes 7 radiating from central portions S,

andeach portion S'being provided Vwith a suitable opening 9 for the reception of a. bearing or the end of an axle, as will be. clearly evident. The outer marginal Vedgeportions 10 of the said circular members or elements 6 extend suitably beyond the outer Vcylindrical surface 11y of the said ring-like element 1, so as to provide an outer annular receiving space, as 12. In its said outer cylindrical surface 11, the said ring-like element 1 is provided with cutaway portions 13 forming spring-receiving seats, and with correspondingly Vdisposed enlargements or bosses, as 14, extending from the Vinner cylindrical surface 15 of the said ring-like elementV 1. Extending from each cut-away portion'or depression 13, through the body of the ring-like element l, and each enlargement or boss 14, is a pin-receiving guide or hole 16, the central axes of each pair of such guides or holes 16, located, respectively, upon the opposite sides of a spoke 7 being parallel to the main central axis of the said spoke.

Movably disposed within the above-mentioned annular space12, with intervening spaces 17 between them, are a number of arcshaped thread-blocks or elements 18, provided in their outer surfaces 19 with receiving spaces 20 and upon their inner surfaces with vcorrespondingly disposed cutaway or recessed portions 21, also forming spring-receiving spring-receiving.seats 13 and 21YV are vthe vrespective ends V'ofV vcoiled 'springs' 23, and

29 made of rubber mounted in the'corresponding and alined guides or holesv '16 and 22 and extending into Vand throughthesaid coiledsprings 28 are suitable pins 24, in the -iorm of bolts, each Y bolt having its head 25'resting in a depresV sion 20 and :having its nut26 screwed upon the screw-threaded',end-portion of the bolt with the nut'26 thereon Vresting upon an 'enj-V largement or boss 14. In this manner, the springs 23 can be brought'under,proper tension, and also, proper adjustment may be made, so that the various 'tread-blocks or elements V18 may be 'correctly 'positioned'.Y

Each'tread-block or element 18 is; further provided in its outer face with a receiving depression orpocket, as 27, in which is' suitably secured in any manner,A as by Vmeans of screws 28, suitable cushioning elements or other .analogous material. e

From theV foregoing description of 'the present invention, and `from van inspection 'of the accompanying drawings, it will` be' 'evident that I haveprovided a simple, cheap,

durable, and perfectly operating construc-V tion, and due to the movable arrangement ofthe several tread-blocks or elements, the resiliency ofthe wheel is retained, whileV the wearingv qualities areV enhanced.

1. A vehicle-wheel comprising a ringlike element, and circular side-members, said members extending beyond the'outer cylin-y drical surface of said ring-1ike element to provide an outer annular receiving space, said ring-like element beingY formed with peripheral depressions providing spring-receiving seat-s, and pin-receiving guides-'ex- Copies of this'p'atentmay be obtained 'for Seated in each pair oitoppositelyV disposed.;

v der tension tending from saidseats through said ringlike element, a plurahtyrof arc-shaped tread- "blocks movably disposed between the sidemembers'of said ring-shaped element, said blocks beingalso ormed'with `depressions providing springreceiving seats,1 and pinreceiving guides in alinelnent lwith Vthen guides safid wringfli'ke element, a pin disposed in each Vpair'of oppositely disposed receiving guides, -a springencircling eachY pin, theresp'ective :endsof each spring be- VingV seated upon the respective oppositely Vplaced' spring-'receivingV seats, yand means VYupon-each pin for bringing said springs -un- Vand correctlypositioning Vsaid tread-blocks.

:2.V A' vehicle-wheel comprising .a irinYg-iVV likeelement, andcircular side-members, said Y members extending beyond the' outer'cylindrical surface,v of said ring-like element to `provide 'an outer annular. receiving spaceV said' ring-like element being formedV withY peripheral depressions providing spring-revv receiving seats,and pin-receivingfguides eX- Vtendingrom said seatsrthroughsaid ringlike element, a Vplurality of-arc-shaped tread- Y`blocks movably disposed betweenV the side# members of said ring-shaped elementQsaid z blocks being formed in their Vinner surfaces with 'depressions providing springreceiving seats, and pin-receivingguide's in alinement with the guides said ring-like element,

Vsaid blocks sbeing 'also Y'provided 5in their Vouter surfaces withV depressions,a pin :dis-

posed in each ,pair of oppositely disposed 'receiving guidespanda head upon reach pin 7 pressions, arspring encircling each fpin, `the respectiveends .of each spring being seated-V upon'Y `they respective `opp'ositely Vplaced spring-receiving seats, and rmeans upon each pin for bringing said springs under tension In testimony whereof, thatI claim the .inventionset forthfabove l have :hereunto set my'hand this 2nd day of March, 1.917.V

ve Ycents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, WashingtonrDL-C.

Y resting in one of said last-'mentioned Vden i and correctly positioning said tread-blocks. Y. Y 

